


Pulse

by JessKo



Series: JessKo’s Spooktober 2019 [3]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Feelings Realization, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Transformation, Werewolf!Kai, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 13:36:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20931098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessKo/pseuds/JessKo
Summary: Kai hates missions where the team has to spilt up. Especially when his partner goes missing in the woods at night. Tracking Cole through the forest, Kai ends up running into what forced Cole to abandon their camp- a pack of werewolves!The battle unfolding so quickly, Kai isn’t sure if he truly believes what he saw was real. Werewolves are just a legend, aren’t they? At least that is what Kai thinks until he finds himself in a furry situation...





	Pulse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [plasma_shipping](https://archiveofourown.org/users/plasma_shipping/gifts).

> Thank you to plasma_shipping for the Lava ship prompt with werewolf Kai! I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> The M rating is for implied/fade to black smut (Werewolf anatomy hinted at wink) and some canon typical violence. Additional TW for: cuts/minor injuries- no blood mentioned, and near-drowning (someone is pushed into a river and then saved).

Kai awoke with a start. He hated when the team had to split up, and their current mission had him alone with Cole. It was unnerving to be away from his brothers and sister, and the fact that at first glance he could not find Cole at their makeshift campsite only made it worse. Sitting up, he conjured fire in the palm of his hand to get a better look around. There was an evacuated sleeping bag, and the stump where Cole had been looking out, but otherwise Kai found himself utterly alone. 

“Cole?” He called out, wondering if the earth ninja had just wandered off. There was no reply. “Cole!” He tried again, louder. Still, nothing. So Kai peeled himself out of his own bedding and stood up, taking a moment to stretch the sleepiness from his arms before making his way to the edge of the forest clearing they had set up in for the night. 

One more time, Kai tried to call out to Cole. The only response was rusting in tall trees. Something had to have happened for Cole to leave his post, so Kai held a flame out before him and considered which direction to begin his search. Selecting to begin with North, Kai set out. It was not long that he heard something louder. Something much like a beast running through the woods. Kai brightened his flame, hoping to ward off evening predators. Yet, the further he went into the woods, the closer the sounds seemed. 

“I don’t like this…” Kai mumbled to himself, not quite scared but certainly worried. Deciding it likely had something to do with where Cole went off to, Kai began to drift closer to the rushing footfalls, chasing their echoes through tight treed corridors. The next thing he heard was growling. It almost sounded like a warning. Now Kai was twice as determined to find these beings. 

He increased his pace and soon caught sight of a shadow, more canine than human but perhaps somewhere in between. It was dark, though, and it's hard to tell just what it could have been. 

Then, Kai heard what he was looking for. A grunt, certainly human and very familiar. It was Cole. Skidding nearly into a tree, Kai changed his direction, making a b-line for the source. The more he rant, the more it began to sound like a scuffle, and then there was laughter. Dark, gruff, and a large hand shoved Kai right into a river! 

There was shouting, but Kai couldn’t make out what was being said over the road of the water as he was pushed downstream. From the shock of it all, he ended up swallowing more water than he would have preferred, but right now his focus was just getting his head back above the surface. Being tumbled around by the fast current was not helping him in this goal at all. 

Finally, firm hands got a hold on his leg and hauled Kai to the shore of the river. It was Cole! He was a bit worse for wear, long claw marks marring dark skin and a black eye beginning to bloom but otherwise alright. Kai launched himself up, wrapping his arms around Cole’s neck. He had so much to say, but settled for coughing up the last of the river water. 

Cole pat his back firmly. “That’s right, just breathe Kai. You’ll be alright.” 

Kai did just that, and when he was finally calmed down, Cole pulled them both up to their feet. 

“What was that?” Kai asked shakily, warming up his body from the core to stave off a cool wind and dry off faster. 

Cole laughed, the hearty sounds warming Kai further. “You’re not going to believe this but I think it was werewolves.” 

Now Kai chuffed. “Werewolves? In Ninjago? Seriously Cole. Was that brandy in your canteen?” 

Cole was adamant. “Shove off. I’m serious. They were big and hairy and terrifying. You act like we haven’t seen ghosts and dragons and serpentine before. Those were all legends too, remember?” 

Kai had to give Cole that. “Alright, but I’ll believe it when I see it.” 

“Yeah well. I think we should press on to the rendezvous point. I don’t want to spend another moment out here, I was able to fight them off but I’m sure they will be back.” 

Whatever it was, Kai could not argue with that and was perfectly happy abandoning his bedroll. He had his sword and Cole, that was all that mattered. 

Reaching the temple they set out to investigate the day before before being split up to deter being followed, Kai found Lloyd and Nya sitting on the front steps. “You’re early.” 

“Right back at you.” Nya quipped. 

Cole shifted uncomfortably beside Kai. “Did you guys see anything… Weird. In the forest?” 

Lloyd shook his head. “No, not really. Actually was an uneventful hike so we decided to not set up camp.” Lloyd noticed the men’s considerably lighter packs, and Cole’s rather beat up state. “I take it that wasn’t the case for you?” 

“Nope.” Cole said shortly. Nya dug into her pack. 

“I have a first aid kit, I’ll bandage you up.” It was more of a command than an offer, and Cole knew not to argue with Nya over something like their well-being. She’d come to see him as just as much of a brother as Kai. 

Cole went over to the water ninja and submitted himself to her ministrations, sinking down to sit on the step beside her. 

“What exactly did you run into?” She asked. 

Cole mumbled his response. 

“I’m sorry?”

“Your brother didn’t believe me so I doubt you will. But it was werewolves.” 

Nya could not help but chuckle. Cole stared her down. 

“Wait. You are serious? Kai is this some sort of prank?” 

Kai shrugged. “I didn’t get a good look at any of it, but we’ve seen stranger things.” 

“Sure, but werewolves? Really?” Lloyd added with a quizzical look. 

Cole did not concede but he did admit that it was dark and his attackers were moving in a flurry. “But I promise you, they were not anything we’ve seen before.” 

As if to accentuate his statement, a lone howl sounded from deep in the forest. For a moment, Kai worried for Zane and Jay, but soon the duo emerged from the brush, appearing just as untouched as the others. 

“Darn it! I really thought we’d get here first!” Jay lamented. 

“Perhaps if you had not run in the opposite direction every time we encountered a snake or spider.” Zane offered with raised hands. Kai could see it perfectly in his minds eye, Jay yelping and darting off every time something wriggled where he was about to step. The man had an uncanny knack for attracting creepy crawlies which was unfortunate for him but rather hilarious to the others. 

“Oh can it! You’ve never nearly turned into a snake. After that… I never want to think about them again. And do not get me started on spiders. Is it too much for a man to ask to not be bitten again with something with venom or more than two eyes?” Jay whined. 

“Glad you could join the party.” Kai replied, gesturing for the others to join them on the steps of the temple. 

Zane immediately noticed Cole’s condition, Jay following the nindroid over to investigate. 

“You know what, I take it back. I’ll take spiders and snakes over whatever you ran into any day.” Jay said nervously, earning a smile from Cole. 

“Hey I’m happy to trade you.” 

Zane inspected the claw marks. “These appear to be canine, yet I have no such animals in my records that have such large distance between claws.” 

“I think it was something new.” Cole began. “Werewolves.” 

After taking some time to regroup, the ninja decided to begin their investigation of the temple. The interior proved to be full of lunar imagery. 

“It’s beautiful.” Kai said, transfixed on the domed ceiling which was a stained glass image of the moon, the real one’s light shining in through the panes and somewhat magnified. 

Jay managed to walk into the one spider’s web in the entire place and his screams broke any sense of serenity there and Kai’s attention was back on the mission. Their sources claimed that there would be a ‘key’ of sorts hidden in the temple, the sort of thing they would need to defeat their adversaries, so the ninja set to checking every inch of the place. 

They hardly had an hour before the familiar drone of the enemy fell upon them. 

“Same thing! Split up and meet at the bounty!” Lloyd cried out. Jay was the first one out the door. Kai inexplicably felt a pang of sadness as he was the last one to leave, feeling like he was abandoning an important secret that he’d hardly begun to understand. 

Cole took his hand into his own, pulling Kai back into the thick forest brush. 

Once he felt they were far enough away from the temple, Cole slowed down to confront Kai. “You alright?” 

“What? Yeah. I’m fine. Great. You are the one we should be worried about!” Kai defended, gesturing to the many bandages adorning the earth ninja. 

“Hey, I’ve survived much worse. You just seem out of it ever since… Well, since you fell into the river.” 

Kai crossed his arms, starting to walk away. “You’re just paranoid because of the werewolves.” 

“Maybe.” Cole admitted. “But usually Zane is the one to stare at art. Not you. You ignored everything we were saying, just staring up at the ceiling.” 

“It was pretty. That’s it.” Kai bristled. 

Cole exhaled. “Alright. I’ll just chalk it up to being delirious from lack of sleep then.” 

Kai had to admit he was pretty exhausted. “Maybe.” 

“We should stop, rest. During the day. If you see a good spot, holler.” 

“Will do.” Kai was relieved that Cole would wait till sunrise to stop at least. Soon enough, it came, and both ninja were ready to drop dead. Spotting a hollow in an ancient tree, Kai slumped down into it after Cole laid a thick layer of reeds and moss to make some sort of cushion. Forced to curl up against each other in the cramped space, neither one complained about the arrangement. 

They’d never defined just what they were to each other, but it was simple enough that they had eyes for each other and this was not the first time they’d tangled limbs. Just, with their duty as ninja coming first, there really never was time for romantic things. Kai was seriously amazed that Jay and Nya found time. Probably because they were slacking off from training or something like that. 

Waking up, Cole found himself considerably more smushed into the hollow. “Kai, what gives?” He grumbled, wiping the sleep from his eyes to only see darkness. He figured they had slept the entire day away. 

The only reply he got was a low rumble. That definitely did not sound like Kai. Panicking, Cole tried to fumble his way out the hollow but the huge mass pinning him to the innards of the tree would not budge. Calling on his powers, he cringed as he broke through the tree, promising to plant a new one after the mission. Whatever it was that was in there will him tumbled out with him onto the ground. The massive tree began to creak and groan and the next thing Cole knew he was being carried away from death by fallen timber in… furry… arms. 

“Let go of me!” He boomed, fighting against the strong muscle keeping him in place. 

“Hey! It’s just me!” A mostly familiar but slightly deeper voice protested. “Stop it!” 

Cole continued to struggle. “You’re not Kai!” 

“Yes I am! Look!” The being removed one arm and ignited a flame in their palm, illuminating an arm covered in auburn fur ending in a massive, clawed hand. 

“No you are not! I don’t know where you learned that but let me go!” Cole roared, ripping himself from the creature’s grasp. It was another werewolf! Starting to bolt away, something possessed Cole to turn back where he found the being staring down at a body illuminated by the fire. When the face looked back up, Cole froze. It… No! This was impossible. 

But there he was, a being half wolf and half Kai. Pleading amber eyes looked at him. “What’s wrong with me?” Kai seemed to beg, whimpering. 

Cole tried to think about everything he knew about werewolves. “Did one bite you?” He asked, slowly and carefully stepping closer to Kai. It was hard for him to wrap his mind around the fact that the werewolf before him really was the man he had fallen asleep against in the tree. But aside from scraggly hair in a greater abundance, pointed ears and fangs, and a long, black-tipped snout-like nose, it really was Kai. 

“N-no! I don’t think so. They just shoved me into the river.” Kai stuttered, other hand nervously coming up to feel his face and darting away at the realization of changed features. 

Cole’s heart seemed to stop for a moment. “Did you drink the water?” Besides biting you, if you drank downstream from a werewolf or from their footprints, theoretically that could turn one. 

Kai’s features answered the question enough that he didn’t need to speak, horror dawning on his face. “Oh no.” 

“Hey, it's going to be alright. We’ll get through this.” 

“Cole! Look at me!” Kai’s voice began to rise. “I’m a freaking wolf.” 

“Werewolf.” Cole corrected, coming to stand just a foot in front of Kai, who was now considerably taller even hunched over. “I was a ghost, remember? Weird supernatural transformations are sort of my speciality.” 

“Jay was a snake, that might also qualify.” Kai retorted. Cole was glad to see him lighten up. 

“Sure, but Jay’s not here right now.” Cole put a reassuring hand on Kai’s arm, earning a shudder from him. 

“Ohhh…” 

Reasonably confused, Cole cocked his head. “What?” 

Kai practically purred. “That feels… Good.” Pulling cole closer, he embraced the smaller man. “You smell good.” 

A thin smile crossed Cole’s lips as Kai inhaled deeply. He traced along the sinewy chest before him, feeling strong corded muscles twitching just below the skin. “You feel good like this…” 

Kai felt an insatiable urge then. The need to have Cole. To claim him. But he was not utterly out of control, pausing after flipping Cole around and rubbing against him. “This alright?” 

“Shit, yeah Kai. Definitely.” Cole replied breathily, his own arousal quickly catching up. 

“Good.” 

The next howl that the other ninja heard was from Kai, but they’d never know that, simply quickening their pace, hurrying to not meet whatever it was that mauled Cole so. 

Cole screamed in both pleasure and pain as Kai’s fangs sunk into his neck, the claiming bite pushing him over the edge as his needs were met by a most pleasant surprise. 

“We need to go back to the temple.” Kai muttered as he lay atop Cole, riding out his own climax, letting it lock him to his lover. 

Cole tried to focus on the words but was nearly lost in a haze of sensation. “Yeah, ok.” 

After cleaning themselves up, the duo realized that the quickest way to travel would be for Cole to sit on Kai’s back while the werewolf ran on all fours. “Don’t jostle me around too much. Going to be sore…” Cole only half joked from his perch as Kai glided through the forest. He had to admit this was fun, running full speed through the woods under a full moon.

Oh he could only imagine how stunning the temple would look on a night like this. Part of him worried that their enemy would be lingering at the spot, but luckily when they arrived it was deserted. Bounding up the steps, Kai burst through the door and was nearly overwhelmed by it all. 

The moon’s light was refracted by the stained glass, beams shining on the various murals and altars of the temple. After setting Cole down, he stood again at the center of it all, feeling like he could absorb the moon beams. Cole gave him a few minutes, but eventually shook Kai from his trance. “Let’s look around.” 

“Right.” 

Kai was not sure how he knew, but he began arranging the items on each altar, creating patterns with candles and trinkets. Finally, when he returned to the center, he sent a burst of fire to light each candle. The light reacted with the mirrored items and sent a new pattern up along the walks and into the glass ceiling. The flickering fire-light then reflected down onto Kai, covering his body in intricate glowing runes. Cole stood aside and just watched. 

The runes grew and grew until the only part of Kai visible was his silhouette, the light creating an intense glow about his body. Cole realized with a start that more werewolves began creeping into the temple, but they paid him no mine, joining Kai in the center of the room and becoming encased in warm light. 

As the figures began to change Cole recognized that they were becoming more human. Then, as quickly as the ritual began, it ended, the candles snuffed out by an unfelt wind. Kai collapsed in the center of a group of men and women. The others appeared to be considerably older than Kai. All were thin, including Kai who seemed skinner than he was the day before. 

Not wanting to face whatever it was that they were capable of, and frankly just wanting to get out of here, Cole carefully toed his way to the center of the group and scooped Kai up. Yes he was significantly lighter. The transformation must have taken a lot of energy. Creeping out of the temple, Cole could have sworn he heard a feeble ‘thank you’ as the door shut behind him. 

Holding Kai in his arms, he ran, leaving it all behind. 

**Author's Note:**

> Music that pushed this plot along:  
Pulse - Michl  
Beautiful Blue Sky - Ought


End file.
